Tryouts were complete after two days of intense drills and conditioning. Unlike the past year, there were over 20 girls trying out for the program, and the coaches were able to form a JV team with 12 talented players. There were no cuts made, giving everyone an opportunity to play.
The JV girls’ basketball team traveled to Clarksburg on Nov. 23 to take on the Coyotes for their first scrimmage. The Patriots ended up losing the contest. “We have a lot of new players so we are just getting used to working with each other,” sophomore guard Nikki Faroughi said.
In scrimmages, the clock is reset every quarter. It is important to get better and work as a team, rather than worrying about winning and losing.
Team leaders are crucial to success on and off the court. Sophomores Anika Srinivasan, Aliki Shoemaker, Ayzelinn Roebuck, and Karysa Pete were chosen to fulfill this role.
The Patriots played their second scrimmage on Dec. 2, facing off against Northwest. “I was excited to play Northwest. They are a really good team and it is good to play against good competition to prepare ourselves,” Faroughi said.
The scrimmage was a success as the girls hustled throughout the whole game, working together to put up a lot of points. “They did not keep the final score, but I believe we won. We have been playing game recently and we have to keep it going,” Roebuck said.
The scrimmages have helped the team get ready for the regular season. “We all trust each other and have good communication. We used all the things we’ve learned in practice and it has really helped. We will keep working hard in practice and it will show by our performances in games,” Faroughi said.
The regular season began on Dec. 5 at home against Springbrook. The girls had a big 49 to 12 victory. “It feels great to play again as a team and start the season off with a win. We played hard and I can’t wait to see what the rest of the season has to come,” Roebuck said.
The team was successful, using the plays they learned in practice to stay a step ahead of the opponent. “We can fix up the little mistakes during practice and we are ready to continue winning. Even though we won, there is always room for improvement and something for us to get better at,” Faroughi said.
The team has been successful, but it does not mean they will stop working hard in practice. “We have to keep working hard,” Faroughi said.
The girls traveled to Blair to face off against the Blazers on Dec. 10, too late to be covered in this issue.
